Sport

Lymm Ladies bag regional crown

LYMM followed a Cheshire Division One title by winning the North Clubs Tournament at Chester.

The regional tournament brings together the winners of Cumbria League, Durham Clubs League and Cheshire League and features three 11-a-side, 30 minute one-way games.

Lymm drew the first game 0-0 with Liverpool Sefton.

Lymm started the next game against Lancaster well, getting an early goal through Helen Weston after attacking play down the right.

Hollie Acklam finished with a flick into the top corner from a wide angle shortly after and Helen Weston got a second with the slightest of touches from a penalty corner routine set up by captain Lisa Hartley-Woodrow.

Hartley-Woodrow tied the game up with a fourth goal before the end.

“In such tournaments getting the first goal is crucial because it's difficult in the shortened time period to equalise and then get in front,” said Weston.

“Unfortunately in the next game versus Richmond Roses we went behind immediately from the push. From that point on we besieged Richmond's D but could not find a finish.

“A combination of amazing saves, last ditch clearances and poor finishing looked like Richmond would hang on but late on striker Nat Riley came up with the all-important breakthrough goal.

“With Richmond dropping deeper and deeper and about two minutes on the clock Hartley-Woodrow found the net with the keeper stranded and we went into the last game knowing a win meant we win the tournament.”

Lymm started that game against Carlisle well. Hartley-Woodrow opened the scoring with Ash Jackson forcing an own goal with a strike deflecting in from a defender’s foot.

Riley made sure, closing the game out with an unstoppable penalty corner strike into the bottom corner.

Weston added: “Overall, the games were played in a really good spirit and in hot conditions we produced moments of one-touch, expansive hockey.”

Julia Harries, deputy president of Cheshire Hockey Association, said: "The sun shone; the technical teams controlled the tournament efficiently; the umpires allowed free flowing hockey to showcase the talent of our north clubs and all teams truly reflected the winning flair that made them league champions."